Recovering Data Using an External Backup and Restore

An external backup and restore eliminates the downtime of systems because the backup and restore operations are performed external to the Informix system. The ontape utility does not move the data during the backup or physical restore. An external backup allows you to copy disks that contain storage-space chunks without using ontape. When disks fail, replace them and use third-party software to restore the data, then use ontape for the logical restore. For more information, see What Is Restored in an External Restore?.

The following are typical scenarios for external backup and restore:

• Availability with disk mirroring. If you use hardware disk mirroring, you can get your system online faster with external backup and restore than with conventional ontape commands.
• Cloning. You can use external backup and restore to clone an existing production system for testing or migration without disturbing the production system.